Rhinestone Cowboy (Updated) 1

Tom Papantonio’s language in this disturbs me, not because of any profanity, but because of his use of words like “hick,” “rube,” and “bumpkin.”

As a country boy, I dislike those words and others like them, which are often used to dismiss persons because of their backgrounds, rather than engage them in discussion based on their knowledge and abilities. (That’s part of why I could never fully enjoy The Beverly Hillbillies, despite plot lines in which, just before the last commercial, the good-hearted rubes always bested the cold-hearted banker.*)

I have also found that belittling folks, however richly they may have earned it, does not win friends, but it may influence people–to hostility. Indeed, it’s likely to fire up Perry’s supporters, who are already feeling mighty aggrieved.

Nevertheless, I recommend attempting to disregard Papantonio’s intemperate language and to listen to the facts that his guest brings to the discussion. The substance starts about two minutes in:

Rick Perry is an empty boot.

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*Yeah. Right.

Addendum, Comment Rescue Dept.:

Dick Destiny comments:

Late in the segment they start going on about cyberwar and Richard Clarke being a savior. Which makes ‘em a bit guilty of a bit of the same kind of alleged bad thinking they accuse Perry of.

Goodness, there’s enough to criticize Perry over without going off on Yellow Peril tangents.

He has a point.

I agree that the whole cyber-war stuff is hype designed to generate full employment for consultants.

I purposely lowered my BS filter because I could not resist the irony of Perry’s embracing one of the few companies that even the Bushies could not love.